Kmart has made a triumphant return to one of Newcastle's premier shopping hubs, throwing open its doors at Charlestown Square on Thursday for the first time in 15 years. The eagerly awaited opening drew a queue of keen shoppers by 8am, all ready to explore the freshly renovated discount department store.
A Welcome Home for the Discount Giant
The new store occupies the space that was previously home to Target, a strategic move by parent company Wesfarmers. The retail conglomerate, which also owns Bunnings, Officeworks, and Priceline, has been progressively converting underperforming Target locations into Kmart outlets. This shift is largely driven by the phenomenal success of Kmart's in-house Anko brand, which reportedly sold over one billion items and made up 85 per cent of store sales in 2024.
For Charlestown Square, the return marks a full-circle moment. Kmart was originally a tenant before being displaced during the shopping centre's massive $470 million expansion in 2010. Simon Burrett, Charlestown Square's General Manager of Marketing, said the decision was customer-led. "We like to keep in touch with what our customers are looking for and certainly we've had a strong sentiment that people would like it if we had a Kmart," Mr Burrett stated. "From our point of view it's a really positive move."
Shoppers Rejoice at New Convenience
The sentiment on the ground was overwhelmingly positive. Lake Macquarie mother Taela Barnett, shopping with her two-year-old daughter Kailee, encapsulated the local excitement. "It's so much better having it at Charlestown," Ms Barnett said. "We're from Swansea, so if we want to go to Big W and Kmart we usually need to go to two places at once. It's nice having it all together."
Ms Barnett was also impressed with the fully stocked shelves, a welcome sight during the busy festive season. "The whole store was full of stock, which was great," she noted. "I've been trying to find a few things for weeks and everywhere else had bare shelves. Today I scored a few things at once."
Hunter's Firsts Lead Retail Expansion
The Kmart opening is just the beginning of a significant retail upgrade for Charlestown Square in the lead-up to Christmas. The centre is also preparing to welcome the Hunter region's first standalone Adidas and W Cosmetics stores.
The new Adidas store will be located on level two near Reading Cinemas, with Mr Burrett touting it as "the first and the best in the region." Meanwhile, W Cosmetics will open on the first level near Big W, complementing the centre's recently expanded Mecca store and creating a powerful beauty destination. "Having W Cosmetics come in to round out that beauty offer is really positive," Mr Burrett added.
This expansion strengthens Kmart's already substantial footprint in the Hunter, which includes stores at Waratah, Glendale, Kotara, Stockland Green Hills (converted from Target in 2020), and Salamander Bay. Target maintains a presence at Glendale, Kotara, and Cessnock.
The return of Kmart to Charlestown Square represents more than just a new store; it's a strategic win for the centre and a major convenience boost for thousands of Hunter families, solidifying the area's status as a leading retail destination.
